WSP08072

• File Number: 8027
• Description: Section D General Correspondence - Federal Agencies - US DOI-BOR - Region 7
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 10/18/1967
• Author: Patrick A Hurley
• Title: Augmenting Upper Colorado River Basin Water Supply By Weather Modification
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Benefits

Estimates of potential benefits occurring from use of the new water
depend on how and where it might be used and how the use might change

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with time. Without coordinated, comprehensive, and detailed planning,
the following estimates must be considered gross approximations at

The entire Colorado River Basin is divided into an Upper Basin and

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best,

a Lower Basin. Bya 1922 compact, a division point for the waters

was established at Lees Ferry on the Colorado River, 1 mile down-

stream from the mouth of the Paria River. Glen Canyon Dam and

other dams upstream essentially control the runoff of the Upper

Colorado River Basin. The Lower Colorado River Basin is con-

sidered that area served by waters of the Colorado River downstream

from Lees Ferry, including southern California but excluding Mexico.

Both Basins face water shortages resulting from increasing demands

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on a limited water supply with the most critical situation existing in

the Lower Basin where the unparalleled population growth is mush-

rooming water demands,

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If used for additional power production, the increased runoff of
1,870,000 acre-feet would boost annual income from existing Federal

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hydroelectric plants at established power rates by about $7. 5 million,

If all this water were diverted above Parker Dam for use in either

California or Arizona, annual income from power production alone

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would be $6.9 million.

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